- Thread starter
- #21
Thanks bro! Im itchin' to get one and cant wait to make this happen!
This '76 FJ40 worth it??
- Thread starter Dirtyredsoxhat
- Start date
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California Smog Information
You might want to read this. It says to be smog exempt in California it must be 1975 or Older.
You might want to read this. It says to be smog exempt in California it must be 1975 or Older.
- Thread starter
- #23
Ok just got off the phone with the DMV and the guy was very cool and gave me some interesting tidbits of information!
So because it is '76 (the FIRST year Cali required smog checks. doh!) it will need to pass smog. I did find out though that that the requirements are the same as they were in '76 so it's not like they've been getting harder as the years have gone on. The guy said that I'd need the standard smog equipment on the rig i.e. a cat conv, O2 sensor etc and, with that, it should pass. If the rig didn't have those then I'd have to go to a dealer and get them installed. I wonder if NZ FJs came with those things from the factory? Does yours have them MudBug?
He also said that if the vehicle was from out of state (id say it was!) and had more than 7500 miles on it then it still had to pass smog, but only to the federal standard and not the more stringent Cali standard. So thats nice.
Now here's the kicker, and what's possibly the best option here! He said kit cars are exempt from a smog reqs. So if I import a vehicle in pieces and then Assemble it in Cali, its becomes a "kit car" and thus exempt. So what's to stop me from taking off all three doors, the hood, the spare tire holder and shipping those separately and reassembling them once the ship docks and I get the car back? I can also buy some jump seats here in US and install them to complete the "kit."
Hmmmm, I wonder if I've found a nifty little loophole here or If I'm being a smart-arse and will get dinged by some bureaucrat when I try to get my registration. Whadya think? Worth a try to be cheeky and attempt to get away with it or just go the official, and potentially more expensive, route??
So because it is '76 (the FIRST year Cali required smog checks. doh!) it will need to pass smog. I did find out though that that the requirements are the same as they were in '76 so it's not like they've been getting harder as the years have gone on. The guy said that I'd need the standard smog equipment on the rig i.e. a cat conv, O2 sensor etc and, with that, it should pass. If the rig didn't have those then I'd have to go to a dealer and get them installed. I wonder if NZ FJs came with those things from the factory? Does yours have them MudBug?
He also said that if the vehicle was from out of state (id say it was!) and had more than 7500 miles on it then it still had to pass smog, but only to the federal standard and not the more stringent Cali standard. So thats nice.
Now here's the kicker, and what's possibly the best option here! He said kit cars are exempt from a smog reqs. So if I import a vehicle in pieces and then Assemble it in Cali, its becomes a "kit car" and thus exempt. So what's to stop me from taking off all three doors, the hood, the spare tire holder and shipping those separately and reassembling them once the ship docks and I get the car back? I can also buy some jump seats here in US and install them to complete the "kit."
Hmmmm, I wonder if I've found a nifty little loophole here or If I'm being a smart-arse and will get dinged by some bureaucrat when I try to get my registration. Whadya think? Worth a try to be cheeky and attempt to get away with it or just go the official, and potentially more expensive, route??
Amen to that. Everytime I get a new 40, I find things I like better and things I don't like as much as other trucks I've owned. There are definitely some pros to "frankenrigs." 
no cat required on a '76 FJ40. i'm in the people's republic of kalifornia and just smogged my '76 not long ago. it will depend on the county you register it in, too. in one county, it will need to pass a dyno test, in another only the visual and sniff. i've got a complete california smog system, so if you want pics, let me know.....
I kinda thing the "kit car" idea would have been tried by others if you could get away with it.....but i could be wrong.....
Kit car
I don't think your kit car plan will work because it would just be considered a restoration instead of a kit car.
California's definition of a Kit Car.
California DMV Registration for Custom Built, Kit Cars, & More - DMV.ORG
As far as the cat and O2. I crawled under mine tonight. Everything looks original and their is not an o2 or cat.
Also I would think that the NZ carburetor and exhaust header will need to be replaced with a US version.
Here is a picture of the carb and exhaust header on my 1978 you can compare it with what you see when you go look at the 76. At the bottom of the picture kind of on the left side is a piece the 76 from NZ will be missing. It attaches to the exhaust header and recirculates some exhaust back into the carburetor.
I don't think your kit car plan will work because it would just be considered a restoration instead of a kit car.
California's definition of a Kit Car.
California DMV Registration for Custom Built, Kit Cars, & More - DMV.ORG
As far as the cat and O2. I crawled under mine tonight. Everything looks original and their is not an o2 or cat.
Also I would think that the NZ carburetor and exhaust header will need to be replaced with a US version.
Here is a picture of the carb and exhaust header on my 1978 you can compare it with what you see when you go look at the 76. At the bottom of the picture kind of on the left side is a piece the 76 from NZ will be missing. It attaches to the exhaust header and recirculates some exhaust back into the carburetor.
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- Thread starter
- #28
Yeah, I thought I might have been pushing my luck a bit with the whole "kit car" thing. 
CruiserStuff, I'd love whatever info you could give me on your smog set up. Will save me a bunch of headaches one day.
I'll also take some closer pics of the engine bay when I see the rig on saturday MudBug, then we can compare.
chur!
CruiserStuff, I'd love whatever info you could give me on your smog set up. Will save me a bunch of headaches one day.
I'll also take some closer pics of the engine bay when I see the rig on saturday MudBug, then we can compare.
chur!
I would like to see pictures of the smog set up as well. I think the piece i talked about in my last post is replaced by the air/smog pump. I'm just curious about the differences. Thanks
Yeah trademe is a brilliant site. I just bought a beauty 84 FJ40 off there the other day I will get the link for it later but in the mean time this is the quality of items available on this reputable site. Scary washing machine. No really, its terrifying! for sale - TradeMe.co.nz - New Zealandtrademe is a very good place to get a bargain in NZ as this link proves
Scary washing machine. No really, its terrifying! for sale - TradeMe.co.nz - New Zealand
Scary washing machine. No really, its terrifying! for sale - TradeMe.co.nz - New Zealand
Excuse the double up there.
